Hols help for single parents

There’s a helping hand for single parents next year. Activity holiday company PGL are letting children under six go free and creating more accommodation for single parent families.

Brochure prices are based on two adults sharing a room with two or more children, but for 2013, up to 25 per cent of rooms at multi-activity centres will not carry an under-occupancy charge.

“We get fantastic feedback from small families, because our holidays are not just fun for children but also sociable breaks for single mums and dads. However, most of our rooms sleep up to six people and we usually apply an under-occupancy charge,” says PGL’s business manager Steve Hougham. “In 2012, 45 per cent of our bookings were from single parent families, most of whom found us by word of mouth. But there are now two million single parent families in the UK and we’ve decided to actively target this important market.

“This offer can save a single parent family £150 on a typical holiday, so we expect a lot of demand, but once those extra rooms are booked, the under-occupancy charge will have to kick in, so the message to single parents is – book early!”

Children under six are now free at UK multi-activity centres, saving up to £219. This makes holidays more accessible for families with two or three children of different ages. “By waiving all charges for young children who are too small to participate in activities, we are making holidays even more affordable for larger families,” says Mr Hougham.

Two-night multi-activity breaks during the school holidays start at £129 per adult and £99 per child aged six to 18 years. A seven night holiday in July or August costs from £349 per adult and from £299 per child six-18 years, with under sixes free – that’s at PGL’s Dalguise adventure centre in Perthshire. A week’s adventure in France next summer, at PGL’s own chateau in Normandy, costs from £399 per adult and £349 per child six to 18 years, with under sixes paying £199. That is for own travel: book onto PGL’s coach for £100 extra per person.

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